Dinosaur nostalgia (is that redundant?)

[digit]

Currently up in the Chicago area visiting with family and getting ready to start a bucket-list trip out to Iceland for a couple of weeks. While driving through downtown Chicago along Lake Shore Drive we passed the Field Museum of Natural History which was one of my favorite haunts when I lived in Chicago when I was younger. I noticed the banners for Máximo the new Patagonian titanosaur (Patagotitan mayorum) which displaced Sue the T-rex from the main floor to her own room in the upper floor of the museum.

 

I decided that it had been years since I'd visited the Field Museum and I needed to make the pilgrimage for my birthday. I'll try to make a post a bit later with a few of the photos that I took during the visit. So much to see and I only went for part of a day to see some of the fossil and mineral exhibits. I noticed one of several "MOLD-A-RAMA" plastic injection molding machines strategically located around the museum. These were a favorite souvenir as a kid (I think I had all of the various shapes). I spotted the one with the Apatosaurus in a Kelly green reminiscent of the old Sinclair dinosaur (named 'Dino' and pronounced

'DYE-no').

 

https://www.sinclairoil.com/dino-history

 

I decided it was worth the three bucks to buy myself a birthday present and so I swiped my credit card (a modern retrofit of this machine dating from the early 1960's when it cost but a quarter) and in moments produced my very own mini-Apatosaurus. The novelty being that I probably had one of these made on this very same machine when I was a kid--likely some 40-45 years ago. I think this is one of my favorite birthday presents I've had for some time (even if I had to buy it for myself).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mold-A-Rama

http://mold-a-rama.com/

 

 

The more things change, the more some things stay the same--it's nice to have a small speck of constancy in this modern world were progress dooms the latest inventions and must-have items to a short lifespan sometimes measured in months.

 

The MOLD-A-RAMA looks to have enjoyed only a rather regional bit of popularity but I hope this may bring back a bit of nostalgia to some TFF members from the area.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

   

 

    

 

[ynot]

Neat, thanks Ken!

And Happy Birthday to You!!

[jpc]

wooo hooo!

[Peat Burns]

I really enjoyed reading this.  I share similar memories of the Field.  I need to get one of those Apatosaurus Mold-o-ramas. It's been too long.  knowing it's pry the same machine I once bought from back in the 80s makes it even more desireable.

 

Happy birthday. Thanks for posting.

[Bobby Rico]

Happy birthday Ken 

I love the mold-a-Ramas . They are beautiful things. The Field Museum is stunning.  

I am very  instead in the nostalgia that surrounds the plastic dinosaur toy.

The mold-a-rama dinosaurs were designed for the world fair and was part of a sincere dinosaur exhibit. Please if you get the chance look at my thread . There is a nice link to the mold-a-Rama and the world fair in video.

 

[caldigger]

They had these machines at the L.A. Zoo when I was younger. I think you could get a gorilla or a giraffe. I don't think I have been there since so wouldn't know if they still exist there or not.

I cant remember ever getting one though.

[Bobby Rico]

9 minutes ago, caldigger said:

They had these machines at the L.A. Zoo when I was younger. I think you could get a gorilla or a giraffe. I don't think I have been there since so wouldn't know if they still exist there or not.

I cant remember ever getting one though.

Looks familiar and I know you have seen my picture but you didn’t won’t to say anything.If you would like one Doren I will post it out next month when I get payed.  

[digit]

I see this simple kitschy concept of having your souvenir produced on demand has strong nostalgic powers. It's too funny that if the finished products were sold in a gift shop, they likely would have nowhere near the sales volume. There is something about the brief 15 seconds of theater--watching the mold halves close together and then reopen with the newly formed figure as if it is a disappearing magic trick being run in reverse. Some day I could see these being replaced by some sort of ultra-fast 3D printing machine making much more intricately detailed items but they won't be able to reproduce that nostalgia. 

 

There is a Mold-A-Rama Facebook group and the company's website has a (probably not too out of date) list of current locations and the molds available at those sites.

 

http://mold-a-rama.com/index.php?p=1_17_Molds-in-Production

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Tidgy's Dad]

Lovely to read this, how I love nostalgia.

Happy birthday, Ken! 

[caldigger]

3 hours ago, Bobby Rico said:

Looks familiar and I know you have seen my picture but you didn’t won’t to say anything.If you would like one Doren I will post it out next month when I get payed.  

Thats quite alright Rob. I don't exactly get misty eyed at not having one.

I grew up in an extremely "fruggle" household. With living on a teachers salary and four other siblings, there wasn't much purchasing of such unneeded items.

They look much better on your shelf with all their buddys anyway.